Numerous padlock constructions have been developed and are widely employed to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to any particular item or area which has been closed and locked. Although many locks are constructed to be opened by a key, numerous combination lock constructions have been developed which are opened by knowledge of a particular combination.
One particular type of combination lock that has become very popular due to its ease and convenience of use is a combination lock which employs a plurality of rotatable independent dials, each of which forms one of the indicia, usually numerals or letters, which comprise the combination for releasing the lock. Typically, the combination lock has one mode or position in which the user is able to set or reset the desired combination sequence.
In airplane travel, new regulations and requirements allow customs officers or transit security personnel to physically break any padlock in order to gain access to luggage which is deemed suspicious. Under these new security regulations, all luggage must be scanned or inspected to prevent the transportation of potentially dangerous items or products which are deemed to be undesirable. Currently a padlock may have two separate and independent locking systems, with both locking systems independently enabling a single shackle to be released and/or lockingly engaged. In this way, by employing either a key activation zone or a combination activation zone, the padlock can be opened. The key activation zone allows security personnel to open the padlock with a master key and then re-lock the padlock in place after the inspection has been completed.